downy woodpecker
noun
: a small black-and-white woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) of North America that has a white back and is smaller than the hairy woodpecker
Examples of downy woodpecker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season.
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Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
While gopher tortoises can be encountered in abundance during a visit to the park, guests can also marvel at its longleaf pine forests, with bird species like the downy woodpecker and red-breasted nuthatch found flitting from tree to tree.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
The downy woodpecker eats nuts, seeds and berries, but more than 75% of its diet consists of insects.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Tree swallows, for example, got 2.8% smaller, American robins got 1.2% smaller, and downy woodpeckers got 2.2% smaller.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 8 May 2023
The hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker are quite similar and can be difficult for novice birders to distinguish.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021
There are 23 species native to the United States—from the tiny downy woodpecker that is only a few inches in length, to the giant pileated woodpecker that’s nearly the size of a crow.
—Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2021
The downy woodpecker, for example, is smaller than a robin.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2020
Other insect-eating birds, like downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice, can find insect larvae under tree bark in winter, or switch to seeds or bird feeders, Petersen said.
—Don Lyman, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2020
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Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
While gopher tortoises can be encountered in abundance during a visit to the park, guests can also marvel at its longleaf pine forests, with bird species like the downy woodpecker and red-breasted nuthatch found flitting from tree to tree.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
The downy woodpecker eats nuts, seeds and berries, but more than 75% of its diet consists of insects.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Tree swallows, for example, got 2.8% smaller, American robins got 1.2% smaller, and downy woodpeckers got 2.2% smaller.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 8 May 2023
The hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker are quite similar and can be difficult for novice birders to distinguish.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021
There are 23 species native to the United States—from the tiny downy woodpecker that is only a few inches in length, to the giant pileated woodpecker that’s nearly the size of a crow.
—Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2021
The downy woodpecker, for example, is smaller than a robin.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2020
Other insect-eating birds, like downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice, can find insect larvae under tree bark in winter, or switch to seeds or bird feeders, Petersen said.
—Don Lyman, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Downy woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downy%20woodpecker. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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